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Maryland

With Congress a Morass, States Continue to Look at Gun Violence and Immigration

PSN on April 20, 2013 - 10:02am

This past week was saturated with crisis and tragedy following the events in Boston and Texas, but it also saw significant developments on two critical issues before the U.S. Senate that would likely have otherwise fully gripped the nation's attention. On guns, an already-weakened bipartisan compromise on universal background checks was blocked in the Senate by a minority of senators, ending for now the fight to pass any federal legislation in the wake of the Newtown tragedy. On immigration, the long-awaited full text of the so called "Gang of 8" immigration bill was released, drawing support from the White House, conditional praise from some advocates, and stoking opposition among anti-immigrant forces. With the ability of Congress to pass legislation on any major issue now perhaps even more in question, both issues also continued to play out on the state level this week as well:

More Positive Signs for Voting Rights Laws

PSN on April 20, 2013 - 10:01am

After a year that started off with a wave of efforts to suppress the vote - many of which continue - more and more states are now looking at enacting significant reforms to modernize voter registration and protect and expand voting rights. Here's a roundup of recent developments:

One Million New Yorkers Set to Benefit from Paid Sick Leave

Charles Monaco on March 29, 2013 - 5:49pm

After years of debate and delay, paid sick days may soon become a reality for approximately one million New Yorkers who do not currently have access to them.

Bad Flu Season Amplifies Calls for Paid Sick Days

PSN on February 23, 2013 - 12:01pm

Out sick this week? You weren't alone. In the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in years, states and municipalities across the nation are seeing an increasing focus on workers' lack of access to paid sick time. Unfortunately, in some places, that has also meant conservatives focused on pre-empting and reversing existing protections, including taking away the rights of local municipalities to determine what's best for their communities:

Tuition Equity and Marriage Equality Laws Lead in Maryland

Charles Monaco on September 27, 2012 - 1:29pm

On Election Day, Maryland voters will determine the fate of two landmark laws that their legislature passed over the past two years: tuition equity for undocumented immigrants and the legalization of same-sex marriage. Both laws were challenged by opponents seeking their repeal at the ballot box this fall — but according to a new poll released this week, both show strong chances of surviving.

With Economy in Mind, Governors and Legislative Sessions Focus on Broadband

Cheryl Leanza on February 24, 2012 - 5:03pm

Since state legislatures around the country have started their sessions in 2012, legislators and governors alike have been recognizing the importance of broadband (or high speed Internet) to growing state economies. Governors in states as diverse as Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, and Wyoming highlighted broadband initiatives in their state of the state speeches, as more and more of our leaders are realizing that without broadband, the U.S. economy is not going to produce jobs or the highly-skilled workers needed to compete in a global marketplace.

Mailing it in: A better way to conduct special elections in Maryland

PSN on February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

Many states are moving toward voting by mail: Oregon requires all elections to be conducted by mail, and Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington state allow voting by mail at some level. California and West Virginia have also enacted legislation allowing counties the option of conducting special elections entirely by mail.